Decatur, IL: Wabic Tower: IC vs. Wabash

(Satellite it was in the southwest quadrant)

Roger Puta Photo/Marty Bernard Collection
N&W Train 124, the domeliner Blue Bird led by Geep 509 and to the right N&W Train 4, the Wabash Cannonball led by Geep 2477 ready to depart. The name on the tower mimics the railroads that cross there.
Howard Swanson shared
Bill Molony posted
Bill Edrington: Separating #4 (to Detroit) and #124 (to Chicago) after running them up as one combined train from St. Louis. I watched this many times as a kid after riding up from Litchfield. In the afternoon, #1 (from Detroit) and #111 (from Chicago) would be combined at Decatur, and then I’d ride back to Litchfield. Good memories.

This view is looking west along the NS/NW/Wabash. You can see the Wabash Depot behind the tower. The tracks going across the front are CN/IC. It looks like a rather modern brick structure. That may be why I cannot find it in the aerial photo below. 

1941 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Update:

Steve Gingo posted
An old photo showing the "newer" WABIC tower in '53 in stark contrast to the old octagonal tower that stood guard over Wabash lines for so long. You really have to admire the guys who had to man these lonely towers for so long. No luxuries in the old tower!
Albert Pope: Inn the old, old towers the op. would have to go outside to pull levers or whatever. The Tower was just a place to get out of the weather.

Dave Durham posted
WABIC towers, old and new, 1/7/53. Decatur public library/Herald &Review

Comments on Dave's post

 

Mid-Century Decatur posted

We're looking east out of the upper control tower window of the new Wabash tower at the WABIC intersection with the Illinois Central on its first day of operation,  April 21, 1953, 71 years ago tomorrow.  D.E. Thornell, in the foreground, is on duty.

Photo: H&R

Richard Fiedler shared

William A. Shaffer posted
N&W E8A #3815 (ex-Wabash #1015) is Bringing in the "Wabash Cannon Ball" into Decatur, IL. Wabic Tower is on the right hand side of the photograph.
(Photo by William A. Shaffer)Sammy Smith Something else I miss is the tall smoke stakes at Staleys. They are still there, but they are cut below where FAA lighting is required. They are taking the old Meuller stack down now, and of course the Wabash went bye bye years ago.

[Staleys is now the ADM wet mill corn processing plant. Note the coaling tower in front of the smoke stacks.]

Terry Howley posted
[Because of the roundhouse on the left, the coaling tower in the middle, and the B&O yard on the right; I assume this is Decatur, IL with the Wabic tower on the right.]

William A. Shaffer added
N&W GP35 #3541 (ex-Wabash #541) is shown approaching Wabic Tower in Decatur, IL. The railroad it is about to cross is the Illinois Central. (Photo by William A. Shaffer)

Add captionilliam A. Shaffer posted
Norfolk Southern Freight Train in Decatur (10.11.13)
(Photo by William A. Shaffer)Dennis DeBruler Nice view of the coaling tower.

1957 video, mostly Wabash activity


Mark Egebrecht Razed in early 2005 (source)